ENGLISH
REFERENCE

vinyl

n. uncountable
B2 Upper Intermediate US //ˈvaɪnəɫ// UK //vˈaɪnɪl// vinyl

n. a type of strong plastic used to make things like floor tiles, clothes, and records for music. Many people prefer listening to music on vinyl because they like the warm sound.

n. a synthetic plastic consisting of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or a related polymer, used for its durability and flexibility. Often used metonymically to refer to phonograph records.


SIMPLE

He collects old jazz albums on vinyl.

CONTEXTUAL

The kitchen floor is covered in waterproof vinyl tiles that are very easy to clean.

COMPLEX

Despite the convenience of digital streaming, the tactile nature and perceived sonic warmth of vinyl have led to a significant resurgence in record sales among younger generations.

Origin

From Latin vīnum (“wine”) + -yl. Derived from Latin vīnum because ethyl alcohol is the ordinary alcohol present in wine.

Usage

Uncountable when referring to the material or the medium of music; however, 'vinyls' is increasingly used by younger speakers to mean individual records, though this remains controversial among purists.

Pitfall

I bought three new vinyls yesterday.I bought three new vinyl records yesterday.In standard English, vinyl is uncountable when referring to the medium; use 'records' or 'discs' for countable units.

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